Journey North International Plant Study

Tulip Test Gardens

Tulip Flower Botany
Parts of a Tulip Flower

Learning to look closely is one of the most important skills for a scientist and an artist. Did you know that when your great-grandparents were in school they learned how to identify plants by first learning about plant families? Each member of a plant family shares the same kind of flowers. And each family is a little bit different. Tulip Family The tulip is in the lily family. This family’s proper name is Liliaceae (pronounced li-LE-A-CEE-e).
How are flowers alike in the tulip family? they all have six petals and six sepals (called the *perianth) they all have six stamens, one pistil* stigma is generally three-lobed, or three separate stigmas bound together fruit generally three-chambered pods or berries in the *ovary* This spring learn a botany lesson out in the garden!	Diagram of a flower
First study the diagram of a flower and learn each flower part’s name. Then go outside into the garden and look closely at your tulip flowers. Sketch the tulip flowers in your journal. Include all the flower parts you see and label your drawing. Have your teacher use a knife to cross-section the seed capsule. Does it have 3 chambers?
Try This! Keep Looking and Sketching Keep your journal close at hand this spring and sketch other flowers to compare with the tulip.